Cosmoteer: Starship Architect & Commander News

At long last, a new Cosmoteer demo is now available for everyone to check out! The new demo shows off the new "Modern" version of Cosmoteer including the new Career mode and the updated graphics, but with a much more limited selection of features and content than what will be launching on Steam.

What are you waiting for? Hop aboard your shiny new ship and download the demo!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/799600/Cosmoteer_Starship_Architect__Commander/

And if you still want to play the old "Classic" version of Cosmoteer, you can still download that from cosmoteer.net or on Steam by following these steps:

1. Open up the game properties in Steam for the Cosmoteer Demo.
   
2. Select the "Betas" tab.
   
3. In the dropdown list, select "classic".
   
4. Cosmoteer should automatically "update" back to the classic version.
   

I’m excited to announce that Cosmoteer will be a part of this week’s TactiCon showcase! From the 22nd-26th, TactiCon highlights upcoming strategy games and other great indies including Cosmoteer! A new updated demo has launched to coincide with Tacticon, so check it out and create the ultimate starship.

I will also be participating in a panel discussion to talk about "Tactical Depth Within Player Freedom", which you can watch tomorrow 5pm CET (UTC+2) at https://store.steampowered.com/sale/TactiCon?tab=6

This is the fourth and final of the posts introducing each of the four main non-player factions in Cosmoteer. You can read the first post about the Monolith Cooperative here, the second post about the Cabal of Sol here, and the third post about the Centauri Imperium here.





The Fringe Systems Resistance is a loose conglomeration of independent star systems united only by the common desire to survive and remain independent.

The "Fringe" star systems are those that lie on the edge of the known galaxy or between the territories of the major factions. They are generally sparsely populated and have a low standard of living. While there is a strong code of honor among inhabitants of the Fringe, there is no common government or system of laws beyond the borders that can be enforced by each individual settlement or station. As such, the Fringe systems tend to attract a "rough and ready" type of personality, and piracy runs rampant.

There are no formal cooperation agreements between any of the Fringe systems, so the extent to which they can be called "unified" is based on a mutual hatred of the other major factions and an understanding that they can better defend their independence working (begrudgingly) together than apart. Despite this cooperation, the Fringe systems are no match for the full might of any of the major factions, and thus are fighting a doomed battle, losing their independence one-by-one.





The ships of the Fringe are typically ships from the other factions that have been salvaged, repaired, and repurposed, pieced together from multiple such ships, or constructed and expanded over time on an ad-hoc, as-needed basis. As such, Fringe ships are generally considered to be poorly "designed" (if that word can even be applied), with little rhyme or reason, often appearing misshapen or even "organic". Their paint is typically left over from however the original ships were painted, albeit more scuffed and faded, and often with additional markings (clan symbols, kill counters, etc...) applied. To the extent to which there is any commonality in their design, it is out of shared circumstance and not coordination.

Fringe ships have no preference for type of weaponry or defenses but are greatly limited by the resources at hand; they will happily use whatever they can get their hands on. Thus, Fringe ships tend to be outfitted with an eclectic assortment of lower-tier equipment such as lasers, cannons, disruptors (electro-bolters), point defenses, small shields, and armor. More advanced weapons and defenses are much less common but can still be occasionally spotted.


Don't forget to add Cosmoteer to your Steam wishlist so that you get notified when it launches!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/799600/Cosmoteer_Starship_Architect__Commander/

This is the third of a four-part series of posts introducing each of the four main non-player factions in Cosmoteer. You can read the first post about the Monolith Cooperative here and the second post about the Cabal of Sol here.





The Centauri Imperium is a young but ruthlessly-ambitious military empire originating in the Centaurus Constellation.

The systems of the Centaurus Constellation were originally governed by the Terran Union headquartered on Earth, but with the destruction of the whole Sol system fifty years ago, the Centaurus Constellation found itself suddenly independent with a galactic power vacuum in need of filling. After a brief ideological civil war within the Centaurus Constellation, the new Centauri Imperium emerged triumphant and quickly expanded its domain into the surrounding systems by conquest and intimidation. In just fifty short years, the Centauri Imperium has become the most powerful military force in the galaxy, controlling nearly half of all known systems and poised to soon conquer the rest.

The Centauri Imperium is uniquely flat in its organizational structures, both civilian and military. As a true direct democracy, every citizen of the core Centaurus systems above the age of 12 EY is entitled to propose laws and vote on every piece of legislation, a process which is handled via faster-than-light communications and a distributed public blockchain. Even the most important decisions, such as whether to accept the terms of surrender of the latest conquered star system, can be made in minutes by instantly notifying the entire citizenry of an impending vote. As such, most Centauri citizens feel an extreme responsibility to stay informed of the various issues facing the Imperium, and civic engagement is very high. There is no single "head of state", and to the extent to which there is any concentration of power, it is in celebrities who are able to influence their followers to vote a particular way.

The Centauri military is only slightly more hierarchical than its civilian government. Because being able to make instant decisions during combat is critical, most ships do have a captain, but one that is elected by its crew and can be replaced by popular vote at any time. Each ship is an independent entity with the freedom to make its own tactical decisions, constrained only by the few rules of engagement mandated by the Imperium's citizens. (And those citizens have deemed that almost any means are acceptable as long as the ends bring further wealth and prosperity to the core Centaurus systems.) This decentralized "almost anything goes" approach makes the Imperium's military nimble and ruthless. Larger strategic objectives are coordinated using bounties authorized by the citizenry, such as a reward for forcing the surrender of a particular star system. In order to accomplish these larger strategic objectives, individual ships will often form ad-hoc fleets that will then disband once the objective is accomplished. In some cases, multiple fleets will form to compete for the same bounty, which is allowed and encouraged as a healthy aspect of the "military free market", though direct combat between Centauri ships or fleets is strictly forbidden and punishable by "death by destruction bounty". In cases where multiple ships or fleets lay claim to the same bounty, it is, as always, the Centauri citizenry who act as final arbiter.

Citizenship is only granted to those individuals who were either living within the core Centaurus systems when the Imperium was formed or are children whose parents are both Centauri citizens. The only exceptions must be approved by the whole citizenry, making naturalized citizens extremely rare. (Generally only individuals who have been of great service to the Imperium are given the honor.) As a result, the vast majority of subjects living outside the core systems are not Centauri citizens and thus do not enjoy any semblance of autonomy or self-governance. For all their talk of democracy and equality, the core systems impose a harsh double-standard on the conquered territories, ruling them with an iron fist.





The Centauri are inarguably the best military ship designers in the galaxy. Their ships are designed to first visually intimidate their enemies into submission and then, if that fails, to annihilate them with ruthless efficiency. Most Centauri ships are constructed "diagonally" relative to the galactic standard construction grid to maximize the available space for offensive firepower and minimize the profile presented to the enemy. They feature a balanced variety of weapons and defenses, making use of all available technologies depending on the combat role of the ship. (Notably, the Centauri are the only major faction to make common use of nukes.) Thanks to the vast wealth gained from the looting of the conquered territories, construction cost is typically not an issue for the Centauri. The main limiting factor is the number of crew; since only Centauri citizens can serve aboard military vessels, there are a limited number of sailors willing to serve in the all-volunteer Centauri starforce, and the military is stretched a little thin.

Aesthetically, Centauri ships are designed to scare the enemy into submission, with intimidating shapes and sharp angles. They are typically painted black, red, and dark gray colors.


Don't forget to add Cosmoteer to your Steam wishlist so that you get notified when it launches!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/799600/Cosmoteer_Starship_Architect__Commander/

This is the second of a four-part series of posts introducing each of the four main non-player factions in Cosmoteer. You can read the first post about the Monolith Cooperative here.





The Cabal of Sol is a religious and scientific organization that worshipped Sol (Earth's star) until its destruction fifty years ago and now endeavors to "reincarnate" its dead God through scientific research.

Although it is not known precisely when the Cabal was founded, it has existed in some form for at least several hundred years. Originally a secretive cult, it is now a massive, mainstream religion and powerful galactic nation-state. Its adherents believe that each star is, in effect, a God; creator of planets and moons and giver of the energies that sustain life. Although they believe that every star is a God, the Cabal of Sol specifically worships Earth's star Sol as the creator of not just Humanity but also the ancient civilization that created the hyperjump gates and left behind the Armstrong Monolith.

The Cabal of Sol is a highly-organized religion that claims more than a fifth of the known galaxy as its own territory, making it one of the largest galactic nation-states. Within Cabal territory, religion and government are inseparable. A hereditary council of twelve High Priests of Sol make the laws, and a complex hierarchy of priests and other clerics administer the functions of government with unusual strictness and harshness. But for those willing to live under the edicts of the Council, life can be good thanks to the extensive social services and a universal basic income provided by the Cabal. And many people from across the galaxy do indeed choose to brave the trip to Cabal space to take advantage, thanks to the Cabal's open immigration policy that welcomes all—as long as they profess a belief in Sol and renounce all other religions.

For the Cabal, religion and scientific research are not antithetical, but instead go hand-in-hand, with the desire to know more about the Gods motivating unprecedented scientific research into how stars are formed and function. Most of the galaxy's preeminent cosmic researchers are also devout worshippers of Sol and members of the Cabal. As a byproduct of this intense focus on scientific research into stars, the Cabal have become the galaxy's clear masters of energy manipulation technology.

Although unproven, rumors persist that Cabal scientists were directly involved in the accidental destruction of Sol and its star system. According to the rumors, Cabal scientists were working to develop hyperjump and shield technologies so advanced that a ship could jump directly into the core of a star, where its most elusive secrets would be revealed. But when this was attempted with Sol, according to the rumors, the result was not the hoped-for scientific and religious revelation, but the destruction of the entire Sol system, costing billions of lives and setting back human advancement by thousands of years. Any involvement in the destruction of Sol is, of course, denied by Cabal officials, but conspiracy theorists claim that their involvement could be proven if only the Cabal would open its vault of secret documents to the public—something which the Cabal has thus far refused to do.

Regardless of whether they were involved or not, their current motivation is very clear: The Cabal seeks to reignite Sol's dead core and reincarnate their dead God. Nearly all of the Cabal's formidable scientific might for the past fifty years has become singularly focused on this goal.





Cabal ships, both military and civilian, are considered to be among the most beautifully-designed in the Galaxy, and Cabal ship architects, known as Sculptors, think of themselves as master artists. For the Cabal, every ship is a tribute to the grandeur of Sol, with form being at least as important as function. Cabal ships are often irregular and asymmetrical, playing creatively with curves, rays, and other interesting shapes. They are usually painted brightly with yellows and oranges, and sometimes greens, purples, and blues as well.

As masters of energy manipulation, Cabal ships generally favor energy-based weapons and defenses. On offense this includes lasers, disruptors (electro-bolters), ion beams + prisms, and railguns. For defense, the Cabal primarily relies on speed and shields, rarely spending much mass on armor. Cannons and flak are almost unheard of on Cabal ships. Despite their prowess at harnessing energy, Cabal ships typically have less efficient hyperdrives, and tractor beams are not particularly common.


Don't forget to add Cosmoteer to your Steam wishlist so that you get notified when it launches!

https://store.steampowered.com/app/799600/Cosmoteer_Starship_Architect__Commander/